Mahablog has it best and her history is as I remember it. McGovern didn’t lose because he was anti-war, Nixon’s entire campaign was based on the claim that he was the one best suited to end the war. Plus, Reagan didn’t run against Carter the peacenik, he ran against Carter as, believe it or not, the budget buster. Reagan spent the final weeks of the campaign reminding everyone that Jimmy Carter had a [gasp] $60 billion budget deficit. Of course as you all no doubt remember, Reagan never did manage to be that frugal.

Yet the lies and misinformation about Democrats persists, pushed by the Republicans who no doubt believe the myths themselves and by a media too lazy and historically ignorant to do anything but be willing stenographers.

From Maha:

George McGovern did not lose the 1972 presidential election because he called for withdrawal from Vietnam. I repeat, George McGovern did not lose the 1972 presidential election because he called for withdrawal from Vietnam.

How do I know this? Simple. In 1972, both bleeping major party candidates — Republican Nixon and Democrat McGovern — were calling for a bleeping withdrawal from bleeping Vietnam.

The Vietnam issue in 1972 was not at all parallel to the pro-war and anti-war positions people are taking now. In 1972, a substantial majority of the electorate recognized the course was unstayable and wanted it to end. And in 1972, President Richard bleeping Nixon and his Secretary of State, the motherbleeping Henry Kissinger, tried frantically to end the war before the 1972 elections. The Nixon-Kissinger “October surprise” was the announcement of a peace settlement with North Vietnam (which fell through after the elections).